Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World HCPublisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Price: $24.99
Creator(s): Monte Beauchamp and others
Format: 128 pgs., Full-Color, 11" x 8.4", Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4919-2
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
This is a remarkable book in concept, and mostly in execution. Of the sixteen pieces, editor and compiler Monte Beauchamp had a hand in writing four, with different artists. Cartoonists from Charles Addams to Dr. Seuss to Osamu Tezuka are each covered by a short graphic biography, each in a different style. Some of the artists did work that is a visual tribute to the subject, others use their own styles in ways suited to the topic. There are surprises on the list, such as Hugh Hefner, whose own failed artistic career led him to create Playboy. His background shaped the way the magazine was filled with the work of so many great cartoonists. Comic strips, comic books, one-panel cartoons, underground comics and more are represented in style, but more importantly each chapter is very informative about the subjects. As a longtime reader of comics in all forms, I was amazed by how many things I learned from this short book.
The flaws are very minor. One is that each chapter leaves the reader wanting more, and the chapter on Harvey Kurtzman even discusses how short these snippets are, when trying to explain a life's work. A second flaw is that a couple of the artists use styles which distract from the subject. Even then the work was interesting, just jarring.
Written for adults, the book might be of interest to some older teens.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California
